Wildlife Promise » mimicryhttp://blog.nwf.org
The National Wildlife Federation's blogTue, 31 Mar 2015 15:26:11 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.2Quiz: Will These Monarch Look-Alikes Fool You?http://blog.nwf.org/2015/03/quiz-will-these-monarch-look-alikes-fool-you/
http://blog.nwf.org/2015/03/quiz-will-these-monarch-look-alikes-fool-you/#commentsThu, 26 Mar 2015 18:42:47 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=105145Read more >]]>Each spring I search desperately in butterfly gardens, hoping to catch a glimpse of a monarch butterfly. I’ll admit, there are a few butterfly species that trick me. The viceroy and queen butterflies are easy to confuse with monarchs. This guide and quiz will hopefully help you (and me) improve identification skills so that these look-alikes don’t fool us anymore. First, learn how to distinguish monarchs from their look-alikes, then put your skills to the test!

Viceroy vs Monarch

The viceroy has good reason for mimicking monarchs, their survival depends upon confusing predators. That makes it extra tricky for us. The viceroy can be identified by the black line across its hindwings, which monarch butterflies do not have. The viceroy is also a bit smaller than the monarch. As you’ll see in the quiz, the caterpillars of monarchs and viceroys are significantly different in appearance.

Queen vs Monarch

The queen butterfly has white spots on its hindwings, distinguishing it from the monarch. It is also a darker color orange than monarchs. When the wings of a queen butterfly are open, it’s a bit easier to tell the two species apart. During the caterpillar phase, however, the monarch and queen are very similar. The queen caterpillar has three sets of protuberances, while the monarch caterpillar has only two sets.

Quiz: Test Your Skills

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2015/03/quiz-will-these-monarch-look-alikes-fool-you/feed/0In the Wild, It’s Survival of the Trickiesthttp://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/in-the-wild-its-survival-of-the-trickiest/
http://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/in-the-wild-its-survival-of-the-trickiest/#commentsTue, 01 Apr 2014 14:27:41 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=93656Read more >]]>Animals have some crazy tricks up their sleeves, and it’s all a matter of survival. Species must adapt special skills for protection and food, and in the process they often leave other animals completely fooled.

That Stinks

A few familiar stinkers are skunks and stink bugs. When bothered, both will release an unpleasant odor to keep predators away. Plants often have a different goal behind their scent. The blooms of some plants are designed to attract necessary pollinators.Skunk cabbage, for example, attracts flies by imitating the smell of rotting meat.

Photo by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant Rolland Gelly.

Gone Fishing

Humans aren’t the only ones that use bait to catch fish. The anglerfish has a “fishing pole” on its head, topped with glowing bait produced by bacteria. It bobs the bait around to lure prey. When the prey gets close enough, the anglerfish shoots forward and gobbles it up. Similarly, the viperfish uses light organs to attract prey directly into its mouth. Talk about an easy meal!

And I couldn’t leave out this clever green heron that figured out how to use a piece of bread to catch fish!

Impressive & Disgusting Fluids

There are a variety of fluids that species use to protect themselves from predators. The Moses sole, for example, is a small fish equipped with shark repellent. As a shark attacks, they release a substance into the shark’s mouth. Amazingly, it stops the shark and allows the Moses sole to escape. The bombardier beetle is another species armed with a protective excretion, a boiling hot & corrosive substance that they are able to shoot at predators.

One of the more disgusting defense mechanisms is that of fulmar chicks, which vomit when threatened. As for impressive, the horned lizard can shoot blood from its eye.

Costume with Purpose

The natural world is filled with incredible costumes, but they aren’t just for show. Plants and animals have a purpose behind their looks. One case of mimicry involves the monarch butterfly. During the caterpillar stage, the monarch butterfly feeds on milkweed. The toxins in milkweed make monarchs poisonous to predators. If they eat a monarch, they get sick. When the predator considers eating a monarch in the future, they remember getting ill and leave monarchs alone. The viceroy takes advantage of this by mimicking the look of monarchs, and enjoying the protection it provides.

Another interesting case of disguise is that of the male cuttlefish. Smaller males will actually make themselves look like females. This allows them to slip by bigger male rivals when pursuing a mate without getting chased away. Another intriguing example is the orchid mantis. It mimics a flower to hide from prey, and then attacks.

All an Act

Animal theatrics are possibly my favorite form of trickery. If an award for Best Performance were given, the killdeer would certainly be in the running. When the nest or young of a killdeer is in danger, they will thrash and squeak along on the ground. To a predator, it appears the bird is injured. Anticipating easy prey, the predator will follow the killdeer, slowly moving farther from the nest. When the predator is far enough from the nest, the killdeer will simply fly away.

The hognose snake would likely have a nomination as well. When disturbed, the snake puts on an award-winning performance, feigning death. It flip-flops around, ends up on its back, throws up and drops its tongue out. Quite impressive.

A hognose snake playing dead. A few minutes after this he popped up and slithered off. Photo by Dani Tinker.

Sneaky Thieves

The phrase “cunning as a fox” is not an exaggeration. The Arctic fox relies on its sneaky abilities to steal eggs from the nests of birds in order to survive. Another thief in the natural world is occasionally Adelie penguins. Males are tasked with building an impressive nest to attract a mate. They must collect a lot of pebbles to build the nest, which apparently takes too much time & effort for some penguins that just steal their neighbor’s pebbles.

Adopt a Trickster

The world is filled with an amazing diversity of wildlife. Some species are beautiful, others bizarre, and some are tricky — but they all are important and deserve our protection. NWF’s Wildlife Adoption program supports our important work protecting wildlife and connecting people to nature. Symbolically adopt one of the following wildlife tricksters:

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2014/04/in-the-wild-its-survival-of-the-trickiest/feed/07 Moths that Make Butterflies Look Boringhttp://blog.nwf.org/2013/07/7-moths-that-make-butterflies-look-boring/
http://blog.nwf.org/2013/07/7-moths-that-make-butterflies-look-boring/#commentsWed, 24 Jul 2013 18:21:54 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=83253Read more >]]>I still like butterflies, but let’s be honest, moths need some love. They just aren’t as popular as butterflies, and they certainly should be! Both belong to the large order of insects, Lepidoptera, which refers to the tiny scales covering most moth and butterfly wings. I used to freak out when I touched a moth or butterfly wing because there was a powdery residue. Turns out, that’s the scales rubbing off their wings. Although they can usually still fly, their fragile wings are easily damaged and it’s best to handle with extreme care or not at all.

Moth species dominate the Lepidoptera order almost 10 to 1, with over 11,000 species in the U.S. alone! I chose a few moths to highlight that give butterflies some stiff competition.

#1: Snowberry Clearwing Moth

Is it a bumblebee? A hummingbird? Nope, this magnificent creature is a Snowberry Clearwing moth. It’s one of a few species of moths found flying by day, while most are active at night. They mimic the flight of hummingbirds, hovering to sip nectar. This moth belongs to the family Sphingidae, commonly known as sphinx or hawk moths. These are some of the fastest flying insects in the world, clocking speeds at over 33 m.p.h.! The two threatened and endangered moths in the U.S. are both sphinx moths. Take a look below if you want to learn more.

The clearwing moth hovers as it drinks, resembling a hummingbird. (Photo by Flickr/vickisnature)

#2: Luna Moth

Luna moths are really freaking amazing. No mouth. Don’t eat as adults. Only live for a week. This photo is one of the Luna moths I encountered while camping in North Carolina. I may have carried it around on this stick for awhile. Don’t judge.

Luna moths are fairly common in the Eastern U.S. near forests. (Photo by Kevin Heath)

#3: Texas Wasp Moth

This species has evolved to mimic paper wasps to protect themselves. Predators that are adverse to wasps will stay away from these moths as well. Pure genius. And easy on the eyes.

#4: Atlas Moth

This species is the largest moth in the world (measured by wing surface area). Female Atlas moths can reach a total wing surface area of over 62 square inches and wingspan of over 12 inches! Imagine those giant flappers headed toward you.

(National Wildlife Photo Contest Entry by Andrea Mosley)

#5: Winter Moth

There are several families of moths with flightless females, including the Winter moth. Notice that the female does have wings, they are just too small to support flight. That must be the most frustrating thing in the world, to have wings, but not be able to fly. Thanks for nothing, tiny wings.

Winter moths mating, the flightless female is on the right. (Photo by Flickr: Jenn Forman Orth)

#6: Uropyia meticulodina

There is apparently no common name for this moth. And no words are necessary. Except that I will now and forever be paranoid while stepping on dead leaves.

The wings of this moth curl to resemble dead leaves! (Photo by Flickr: Shipher Wu)

#7: Cecropia Moth

Female Cecropia moths, like many other species, produce pheromones to attract mates. Following this scent can be dangerous for male Cecropia moths, however. Bolas spiders are able to mimic these pheromones and eat whichever male moths show up!

Threatened & Endangered Moths

There are two moths officially listed as threatened or endangered in the U.S. The first is the Kern Primrose Sphinx moth, found in California and listed as threatened. The second is Hawaii’s largest native insect, the Blackburn’s Sphinx moth, which is listed as endangered. According to National Moth Week, “for many moth species distributional information is lacking or poorly documented, for others, DNA is clarifying phylogenic relationships and identifying new species.”

Turn Your Yard Into a Haven for Wildlife

]]>http://blog.nwf.org/2013/07/7-moths-that-make-butterflies-look-boring/feed/40Is the Mockingjay from The Hunger Games Real?http://blog.nwf.org/2012/03/is-the-mockingjay-from-the-hunger-games-real/
http://blog.nwf.org/2012/03/is-the-mockingjay-from-the-hunger-games-real/#commentsFri, 16 Mar 2012 22:28:38 +0000http://blog.nwf.org/?p=49191Read more >]]>

Mockingjay vs. Mockingbird

With the release of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire movies, we wanted to assure readers that while a government mishap hasn’t yet created anything like the mockingjay, we do see outstanding examples of mimicry in nature that help animals to survive in the wild.

The Story of the Mockingjay

In Suzanne Collins’ book, The Hunger Games, the mockingjay bird is the evolutionary result of a failed government breeding experiment. The evil government of Panem first created the jabberjay to spy on enemies and rebels of the Capitol, as they could memorize and repeat entire human conversations. However, once the rebels realized their conversations were being transmitted, they used the jabberjays against the Capitol, sending back false information. The government then abandoned the birds to die off in the wild.

But, in an example of extraordinary wildlife almost never doing what we expect, male jabberjays bred with female mockingbirds, giving birth to the mockingjay, which could repeat both human melodies and birdsong and were thus better able to protect themselves (and the rebels of Panem) in the wild. The inability of the government to control these animals made them an inspiration and a symbol for the rebel cause.

Though the mockingjay is not a real species, the fascinating trait of mimicry is very real in the wild, as seen in the mockingbird and other animals.

The Breakdown: Mockingbird vs. Mockingjay

Mockingjay -Fictional – It can repeat both human melodies and birdsong and plays a symbolic and thematic role in The Hunger Games.

Mockingbird -Real – It can mimic a variety of noises such as car alarms, cats, crickets, etc.

There are about 17 species of mockingbirds around the world. Northern mockingbirds are the only species commonly found in North America. Their Latin name, Mimus polyglottos, means “many-tongued mimic,” because rather than singing their own songs, northern mockingbirds learn and repeat the songs of other species. An individual can learn up to 200 songs during its lifetime.

Both males and females sing, but males are louder and active more often throughout the year than females. Unpaired males sing 24 hours a day during the breeding season. Once a male has courted a mate by elaborately displaying his flight and singing capabilities, the pair may stay in a monogamous mating relationship over many breeding seasons, or else one male may mate with many females.

“You name it–other bird calls, sirens, bells, frogs, crickets, squirrels, a home alarm, rusty gate, the whirring and squeaks of a washing machine–and this extrovert of lawns and hedges will imitate the sound with grace and skill.” – excerpt from “Listen to the Mockingbird” in National Wildlife magazine.

But Wait, There’s More…

There are many other birds that use mimicry, such as burrowing owlets who mimic the sound of rattlesnakes to ward off potential predators. One of our favorites is the the lyre bird, who will shock and enthrall you (almost as much as The Hunger Games) with the variety of sounds they can mimic (chainsaws, cameras and more).